DENVER – When someone says Ben Roethlisberger looks as if he's aged in dog years since last season, the first thought is the shaggy beard he began sporting late in the season. But the reference is not about the brown blanket on his face.

SEATTLE – The Seahawks got away with one. They got away with their best player not just being out, but out cold. For it to happen again Sunday will be like asking it not to rain here, where politicians and clergy are pleading with fans to bring two animals to the NFC Championship Game – in case Qwest Field must double as an ark.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Justice has been served. Patience has been rewarded. Continuity has conquered
NFL owners, take note. Sunday's AFC Championship Game will be a study in stability. It pairs the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos, two franchises impervious to panic, two teams that haven't changed coaches in more than a decade.

A month before he got his driver's license, he was at a car dealership picking out the BMW, fully loaded, he received as part of an endorsement deal. He has a pool table in his basement rec room and a killer sound system and giant drop-down screen that he can play video games on, including, of course, the video game in which he's one of the featured athletes.